Licensed Practical Nurses (NOC 3233)

What They Do Licensed practical nurses perform some or all of the following duties: Prepare patients for surgery by washing, shaving and sterilizing the patients' operative areas Assist in surgery by laying out instruments, setting up equipment, assisting surgical teams with gowns and gloves and passing instruments to surgeons Clean and sterilize the operating room and instruments. Provide nursing services, within defined scope of practice, to patients based on patient assessment and care planning procedures Perform nursing interventions such as taking vital signs, applying aseptic techniques including sterile dressing, ensuring infection control, monitoring nutritional intake and conducting specimen collection Administer medication and observe and document therapeutic effects Provide pre-operative and post-operative personal and comfort care Monitor established respiratory therapy and intravenous therapy Monitor patients' progress, evaluate effectiveness of nursing interventions and consult with appropriate members of healthcare team Provide safety and health education to individuals and their families.

Where They Find Work —    Top Occupational Areas Health care and social assistance 97% Licensed practical nurses work in: Acute-care hospitals and nursing homes Extended-care facilities and rehabilitation centres Clinics and doctors' offices Companies Private homes Community health centres The unionization rate (85%) is above the average (32%) for all occupations. The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Licensed Practical Nurses are found in Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island while the lowest concentrations are in Ontario and Manitoba.

Related Occupation(s) Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates (NOC 3413) Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations (NOC 6471) Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental) (NOC 323)

Something to Think About To enhance your professional knowledge and broaden your opportunities, consider: Continually updating your knowledge Improving interpersonal skills Setting standards and guidelines for safety/operations

Use the "Where They Find Work" graph to target your worksearch. It may be easier to get into industries with the most people in this field. Want to work in an industry that hires fewer workers in this field? To be more marketable, check out whether you have the most up-to-date knowledge and technology skills for that industry. Check the provincial/territorial or local information (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca) for opportunities in your area.

What You Need To be a licensed practical nurse, you must finish a vocational college or other approved program for licensed practical nurses. You need registration in all provinces and territories and must complete the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination in all provinces and territories (except Quebec). To be an operating room technician, you need either additional academic training in operating room techniques, or on-the-job training. Most recent entrants have a community college diploma.

Required/Related    Educational Programs* This will let you explore the program(s) of study that lead to this (these) occupation(s). Nursing - Diploma (C560) Nursing - Other (C561) Nursing (U560) *  These educational programs are listed in the order in which they are most likely to supply graduates to this occupation.

Useful Experience/Skills Multidisciplinary teamwork Business procedures Interpersonal communication skills		Useful High School Subjects Biology Chemistry Health English Math
Depending on your background, this Education, Training, and Experience info will help you to: Choose your high school courses Plan your post-secondary program Choose relevant volunteer work Decide what new skills to learn Read job ads, professional journals, and newspapers for what the industry needs and employers want. Talk to employers and employees to find out the exceptional skills and knowledge that will help you land a job.

Current Conditions Your work prospects are rated FAIR because: Employement grew at an average rate. Hourly wages ($18.52) are close to the average ($18.07), and the rate of the wage growth is close to the average. The unemployment rate (1%) is below the 2004 average (7%).

Work Prospects Current   Fair   2009   Fair

Outlook to 2009 Your work prospects will continue to be FAIR because: The employment growth rate will likely be close to the average. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings. The number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings.

Preparing for the Competition You're more likely to succeed if you have skills to nurse aging patients in acute care and home care. You'll need to continue to update your skills as more technology is introduced for bedside care. You're more likely to be hired in a hospital setting if you have skills in nursing critically ill patients.

If you are beginning your career investigation, national outlooks will give you a good overview of trends. Ready to explore an occupation in more detail? Check provincial/territorial or local outlooks (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca).

What you can expect to make (Average Hourly Earnings ($/hour))
Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 $16.38 $11.74 25-54 $18.64 $19.76 55+ $19.00 $19.59 Overall Average for Ages (20+) This Occupation All Occupations $18.52 $18.07		Hourly wages ($18.52) are close to the national average ($18.07). These earnings are close to the average for occupations in the health sector and close to the average for all technical, professional, and skilled occupations. These wages grew at an average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Your salary can be affected by your background, the company's size and benefits, and the region and setting (urban or rural). Check out salaries in your own region by seeking info from: Employees/unions/associations Employers/human resource people Training institutions and placement services Company websites Professional/trade journals

Below the average
The unemployment rate (1%) is below the 2004 average (7%). This rate is below the average for technical, professional, and skilled occupations. A low unemployment rate often means less competition for the jobs available. But you still need to have the required training and experience. A high unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great difficulty getting hired. But it can mean a fluctuating demand for workers, and you may experience bouts of unemployment.		Year This Occupation All Occupations 1991 3% 10% 1992 2% 11% 1993 2% 11% 1994 2% 10% 1995 3% 10% 1996 3% 10% 1997 2% 9% 1998 3% 8% 1999 1% 8% 2000 1% 7% 2001 1% 7% 2002 1% 8% 2003 2% 8% 2004 1% 7%

% of Part-time work is above average
This Occupation All Occupations Full-time 70% 81% Part-time 30% 19%		There were 51,600 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, a decrease of 19% since 1997. The percentage of part-time workers (30%) is above the 2004 average (19%) and has dropped since 1997.
When full-time work is difficult to find, look at alternatives such as contract work, consulting, shared positions, and telework.

Below average
The percentage of self-employed workers (1%) is below the 2004 average (15%)		This Occupation All Occupations Self-Employed 1% 15%
Does this occupation have an above-average rate of self-employment? Consider being your own boss if you can't find work with an employer.

Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 7% 10% 25-54 82% 72% 55+ 11% 12%		The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average influenced by a similar-to-average age of workers (40).
Look at the youngest group. A low percentage means fewer openings for brand-new workers. A high percentage means more openings for brand-new workers. Look at the oldest age group. A high percentage means positions could open up from retirements. This could be significant for both mid-career changers and brand-new workers.

Above average
The percentage of women (95%) is above the 2004 average of 48% and has dropped significantly since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Percent Women 95% 48%

This page last modified on: 2007-03-31